Liberal Arts vs. Conservatory

I've had a lot of young performers ask me for advice regarding their pursuits of higher education after high school. Here are some thoughts...

Think of yourself like a high school athlete. Across the entire country are thousands of high school athletes many of whom dream of success in the pros. How many of these kids actually make it to the pros? Very VERY few. But like you, an athlete has to be realistic about his abilities and his dreams.

Ex. A short guy who's not very quick probably won't make it in the NBA.
No matter how great of a passer he is in high school, the odds are against him--UNLESS perhaps he goes to a good college, and while there, tirelessly works on his skills to make himself the best player he can be. Even then, there's a good chance he'll still never make it in the pros.

Knowing this, would you recommend that this student go to a college that will only develop him as a basketball player? Where's his future if he's not drafted into the NBA? What does he have to fallback on? And at 18 years old, is he missing out on discovering and cultivating other skills and talents he may have?

In that example, the basketball college is like a conservatory for actors. What if you work tirelessly for 4 years on your performing skills and graduate, and don't get an agent at your senior showcase? Are your parents supportive of your dreams? Do you have the will power, the desire, the passion to fight the uphill battle of being a professional actor in New York...alone?

The point is--be realistic about your talents NOW. Know what your strengths and weaknesses are. Are you the best of the best? How do you compare to other kids your age?

When I graduated high school I had been the lead in my high school musical for 3 years. But it was a hobby, not a dream. I enjoyed singing and acting, but thought, "Come on. This is high school. It's a far cry from Broadway. I may be good here, but there's no way I'm good enough to make it in NYC." So I did it because I enjoyed it, and had fun!

I then went to a liberal arts college (Duke University) and continued to dabble in the arts but only as a hobby--despite similar accolades and success. When teachers encouraged me to pursue acting professionally, I laughed. Me a professional actor? Right...It wasn't until I got my first professional job at age 19 making 30$ a week at a theater in Maine, painting sets, cleaning up after Equity actors, and singing/dancing in the ensemble of 5 musicals that I thought, 'wait a minute...'."

The leads in the shows were all Broadway professionals. It was the first chance I had to share the stage with real Broadway performers and see how I measured up. And after doing so, it was the first time I ever considered a real future for myself as an actor.

All throughout I've had very supportive and very realistic parents. (i.e. they supported my artistic aspirations as long as I had a "fall back" plan, which for me was medical school). But they were right.

Despite all my success--leads in the shows at CCM for two years, award nominations, meetings with a dozen agents after graduation, 3 Broadway shows, one nat'l tour, 2 Broadway workshops, 1 feature film, voice-over/commercial/modelling work, and my current success in The Light in the Piazza...it's been nearly 6 years of incredibly hard work and scraping by to pay the bills at times (I worked as a personal trainer when I first moved to the city). I got to New York thinking I was the best of the best--that I'd land the lead in a Broadway musical or a TV show or a movie, and it's taken me six years to do it.

Along the way, I'd have been lost without the love and support of my friends--the guys I met at Duke, and my family. My life experience at Duke gave me a well rounded perspective and introduction to so many types of people from all over the world. It gave me a chance to be a kid too--to enjoy life with friends away from home--while I discovered who I was--my dreams and skills and likes and dislikes.

Of course, every actor has a different story. The moral of mine: unless you're 100% sure that the only thing you want to do with your life is be an actor, I urge you to consider liberal arts colleges along with conservatory programs in your search for the next step. Visit the campuses, talk to the students and faculty...I knew from the minute I stepped foot on Duke's campus it was where I wanted to be....

See what your heart tells YOU.